PAM, IAM, Or Both?

Uploaded on 2023-01-06 in TECHNOLOGY--Resilience, FREE TO VIEW

Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) are often misunderstood, having similar features in dealing with users, access, and roles. They also refer to safeguarding data by protecting who has access to systems and what manipulation is allowed to sensitive areas.

Despite these facts, they are different. The role of PAM is to protect users with privileged access to sensitive data such as System Administrators or Developers.

Privileged credentials (also called privileged passwords) are a subset of credentials that provide elevated access and permissions across accounts, applications, and systems. Privileged passwords can be associated with human application, service accounts, and more. Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) keys are one type of privileged credential, used across enterprises, to access servers and open pathways to highly sensitive assets.

Privileged account passwords are often referred to as ‘the keys to the IT kingdom’ as, in the case of superuser passwords, they can provide the authenticated user with almost limitless privileged access rights across an organisation’s most critical systems and data. With so much power inherent of these privileges, they can be an area for abuse by insiders and are highly coveted by hackers. Forrester Research estimates that 80% of security breaches involve privileged credentials.

IAM on the other hand focuses on business users or third parties, controlling the access and experience these users are given within an application or service. Frequently IAM is linked to zero trust measures and strong authentication.

In many cases companies think that by adding an IAM solution it will take care of the privileged users as well. But this is a mistake, as PAM goes far broader in its controls and should be the first authentication measure deployed as PAM solutions take security and compliance a step further, helping IT teams to control privileged users and accounts.

In short, IAM manages identities for common accesses that occur in routine activities, PAM controls access of privileged and active users in critical system environments.

PAM systems define which employees, partners, vendors, and applications have what level of access for specific accounts or data. Implementation of PAM is a mix of software, processes, and enforcement, only those with privileged access can have permission to use the most critical data and assets.

Some key features of a PAM system are:

Password vault: management and protection of critical credentials through session monitoring.

Usage limit: limiting account usage based on a specific time, or a certain approval extent.

Discovery: auto-discovery of privileged credentials that may be on the system without the administrator’s knowledge.

Visibility: view of what happens when an access is requested, approved, and performed.

Audit: recording of evidence from accesses performed correctly or not.

Both IAM and PAM are useful to protect your organisation from security theft. To fully protect your business from internal and external threats, both IAM and PAM solutions should be deployed.

By using these tools together, companies can eliminate any unprotected coverage gaps from hackers with a complete security solution that regulates password use, monitors user access activity, and facilitates government regulation compliance. It could even save money on cyber insurance premiums.

Companies must ensure that they closely integrate their IAM and PAM tools, this will help avoid redundant processes for privileged and everyday user accounts. With the strong combination of these systems , companies can have trust in automated provisioning of user accounts which enables swift removal of a user profile when a person leaves, or a compromise is detected.

Additionally, using strong user identity management ensures faster reporting and auditing across all user accounts, making any form of investigation much easier.

Identity Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) are completely different from each other in terms of working, as well as audience. I always advise that a PAM solution should be the primary implementation, followed by a complementary IAM solution, as the exposure of data is far greater when a privileged user is compromised.

Colin Tankard is Managing Director of Digital Pathways

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